Pianoforte



1. t e e h s s Lb e e .nu s 2 K. RE T MR 0 CM .N HM .P vd d d 0 M 0 W No. 540,298. Patented June 4, 1895.

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/NITNESE INVENTOR /M mm 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented June 4,1895.

INVNTOR. W7/W/ J. H. CLARK.

PIANOFORTE.

(No Model.)

C .my R d N f ...v WM o W/Ww linirrEn STATES PATENT JOSEPH H. CLARK, OF DEERING, MANE.

PIANOFORTE.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 540,298, dated June 4, 1895.

Application led September 30, 1892. Serial No. 447,446. (No model.)

T0 LZZ whom if; may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Deering, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Pianoforte, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvementin pianofortes in which a double metallic frame is used with a cast iron or a part steel and cast iron back or bottom supplied with stays and stay bolts, the double metallic trame being firm and not easily affected by the atmosphere, is made independent of the case, with the case fitted adjustable to the trame.

The objects of my invention are, first, to reduce the weight of the piano, and gain strength; second, to make the work compact, and, third, to avoid the changes caused by the swelling and shrinking of the wood in the trame. I attain these objects by the meehanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side view of the double metallic frame and the edge ot` sounding-board and glue-bars; Fig. 2, a front View of the two plates used to make the double metallic frame and their connections; Fig. 3, a perspective view of a combination of the case and framework of an upright pianoforte; Fig. et, a vertical front support of the key-bottoni and a top view of the said lteybottom. Fig. 5 shows sections oi` the back metallic rail for the key-bottom and sides of the piano-case work, and Fig 6 is a sectional side View of the arched work of the plate.

The back plate A, consists of live steel bars C, D, F, G, ll, combined with the cast iron bottom plate P, the bars and plate being fastened together at the bottom with the bolts b, l), the., for the outer edges of the plates A, B, and riveted at dots p, p, dac., and held at the top by three large wood screws in each of the rive bars C, D, F, G, H, driven into the wrestplank E, at dots i", fr, die.

The front plate B, is one piece of casting provided with two or more bars J, L.

The stay bushings e, c, e, are metallic tubes and are used to hold the plates A, B, at a given distance apart.

The double arched bar C, shown in Figs. 2 and 6, is held in the center by the bolts t, t, and supplied with the stay bushings e, e,

through which the said center bolts t, t, pass and connect the bars J, C, and support the middle and upper part of the instrument.

The single arched bar D, seen in Figs. i and G, is supplied with the stay bushing e, through which the center bolt t, passes connecting the bars L, D, to sustain the bars or lower part of the piano.

The combination of the plates A, B, with the stay bushings e, e, e, the center bolts t, t, t, and the outer edge bolts b, b, and screws r, i', dic., as many as may be needed to keep the parts in the proper place, will hold the work without twisting when made of light material.

The end c, of the back metallic rail R, is held to the plate B, by the boltsf,f. rlhe said metallic rail R, is made in one piece and held on both ends alike.

The key bottom K, for the key board to rest upon is held upon the back with wood screws through the back rail R, at o, n, yn, and the said ends c, c, and in front by the vertical front panel frame j, which is framed into and rests upon the shoe pieces 0c, az, which shoe pieces sc, oc, are held parallel with the key bottom K, by the braces c', i', which braces c', i', support the instrument with the help of the front framej. The shoe pieces 0:, x, are held on the front by the said framej, and framed into the back work and are used to hold the casters ot' the piano.

The slotted projection g, near the bottom at right angles with, and a part of the bottom piece P, of the back plate A, is used for the wood screw at dot 3, to hold the lower end of the side of the case d, on the back edge.

The side piece d, is one of the sides ot' the case of the piano, and is held on the lower end by the wood screws 2, 3, and near the middle, by the screw l, and at the top by the tenen n, in the mortise m. (See Figs. 3 and 5.) The tenon or hook n, on the inside of the side of the case d, is used to hold the upper end of the said side piece d, and its opposite. The mortise m, in the end of the wrest plank E, is made to receive the tenon n.

The outside finish for the key bottom K, is made in one piece and held by the screw G, and its opposite, and its screws 7, S, 9.

The screws l, 2, 3, and 6, represent opposite parts. The screws fr, 5, connect the outside ICO covering for one of the base pieces shown in Fig. 3, with one end of the frame j, and 10, 11, hold the same opposite. The screws 12, 13, 14, hold the lower finish of the frame j, (figures numerical,) and represent Wood Work.

In Fig. 6, the arched and stay Work shown is for a small sized piano. A larger instrument would require more bars of the same kind, Well stayed, according to the strength required.

rihe Wrestplank E, the sounding board S, With its glue bars a, a, the plates A, B, the key bottom K, the panel frame j, the braces 11,1', and the shoe pieces m, constitute the frame Work of the piano, which frame is made independent of the outside finish or case, and the arched bars previously referred to, add

.strength Without increasing the weight ot' the material, and Figs. 2 and 6, show the form of the bent or arched bars or ribs required to do as stated above. The slot in the projection g, is made through the plate P, for clearness but not needed for us'e. The Wood supports z', and j, are used to help make the frame independent of the case and provide a place for screws which are driven from the inside of the frame to hold the case. The side piece d, is made to represent the fastenings of the different parts of the case, which are not shown on the outside.

I am aware that prior to my invention, metallic frames have been used in pianofortes, and that the cases of the same have been made separable. I therefore do not claim such a combination broadly; but

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The double metallic frame A, B, provided with the combined steel and cast iron back plate A, the arched bars C, D, the center bolts t, t, the stay bushings e, e, e, the key bottom K, supported by the framej, and the braces z', i, substantially as shown and described.

JOSEPH H. CLARK. Witnesses:

J. C. PETTENGILL, N. M. HUssEY. 

